Monsignor richard bellow biography

CLEMMONS — Father Brian Joseph Cook died peacefully on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in his beloved “ Clemmons Cabin,” surrounded by loving friends. He was 67 and had served as a priest for nearly 38 years.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Family Catholic Church in Clemmons at noon Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, preceded by a viewing from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the parish’s Holy Spirit Chapel. A committal service date at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, is to be determined.

Father Cook was born the youngest of six children on May 16, 1956, to John Bernard and Elizabeth Stanley Cook and raised in the Washington, D.C., area. He graduated from Gonzaga College High School, Marquette University, and Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. While growing up in Takoma Park, Md., he met a young parish priest who was later to become the third Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte: William G. Curlin. Then-Father Curlin had a profound influence on the young boy’s life, inspiring him to later become a priest.

He was ordained by Cardinal James Hickey on Dec. 7, 1985, for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Then-Monsignor Curlin preached at his first Mass the following day. Father Cook recounted the homily in a 2020 interview with the Catholic News Herald: “He looked out at the congregation and said, ‘Father, there is your family. Love your people. If you love your people, they will do anything for the Church and they will do anything for you. If you do not love your people, they will not cross the street to say hello.’ That has always stuck with me. Certainly in my ministry I have tried to love whatever congregation I am serving.”

Father Cook devoted much of his life to working with the sick, first in healthcare and later as a priest. In the Washington area he worked as a paramedic, then later in respiratory therapy in a hospital, and then ministering as a priest to the sick and dying in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice fac

 Monsignor Richard Bellow, a retired priest of the Diocese of Charlotte known for his love of the Eucharist, passed away peacefully Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. He was 80 years old, and he had served in priestly ministry for 53 years.
Born in the Bronx New York, Richard was the son of the late Samuel and Antoinette (Bica) Bellow.   He received his education from many different institutions, St. Francis Seminary, Staten Island, NY; St. Hyacinth College & Seminary, Granby MA.; Notre Dame , where he received his Masters in Psychology.  Monsignor served as a counselor and teacher at Canevin High School, Pittsburgh, PA; parish priest at St. Cyril & Methodist Catholic Church in Binghamton, NY,   He also served as director at St Francis Seminary.

Ordained on May 30, 1970, Monsignor Bellow began his ministry as a Franciscan priest, teaching religion at a Catholic high school in Pittsburgh and serving at parishes in New Jersey and upstate New York before serving as director of St. Francis Seminary in Staten Island, N.Y. Then in 1987, he made the move to the Diocese of Charlotte, to be closer to his ailing mother. His first assignment in the diocese was as pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Charlotte.

Father Richard, as many still referred to him as, served as pastor at St. John Neumann and St Gabriel before retiring in 2013, Monsignor Bellow served for nine years as pastor of St. Mark Parish in Huntersville, where he helped guide the construction of a new church building that was dedicated in 2009, fulfilling a long-standing dream for parishioners in Huntersville. Also under his leadership, Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration was inaugurated at the parish in 2011, and the Adoration Chapel was later renamed in his honor.

“If God wants me to be remembered for one thing, that’s what I want to be remembered for: being the pastor here when God did this good work in us,” he told the Catholic News Herald

Richard “Rick” Charles Bellows passed away in the company of his family on the evening of Friday, May 27th, 2022 from heart complications related to Alzheimer’s. He was 69 years old.

Originally born in Minneapolis, MN on February 9th, 1953, Rick moved to Detroit Lakes, MN at the age of 6 and lived temporarily on a mink farm before his family relocated to a home in town for the rest of his childhood. He earned a double bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Concordia University before marrying Marilyn Schorn in Detroit, MI in May 1988. The pair soon moved to the warmer weather of Georgia where Rick graduated with his Juris Doctor degree from UGA in 1992 and welcomed his two sons Tim and Chris in 1994 and 1996, respectively.

After beginning his career as an insurance defense attorney, Rick switched to probate law and became well known around town as the Hall County conservator. During his 30+ years in Gainesville, he managed probate affairs and conservatorships for countless families, which in turn made him a familiar friendly face around the local courthouses and banks. Outside of work, Rick had a deep passion for reading, kayaking, animals, and especially soccer, which he coached for many years, refereed into his 60s, and watched regularly until the day he died.

No matter the situation, he was the first to step up and offer to help; whether it was volunteering in his children’s extracurriculars, taking recycled newspaper to the local Humane Society, or simply giving someone a ride home across town, Rick always put the needs of others before his own. He was an iconic presence in his neighborhood, known for long walks with his dog Sesi, waving to every car that passed, and collecting newspapers for elderly neighbors regardless of the weather or his own health. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, sons Tim (Abby) and Chris, and siblings Linda, Lee, Wendy, Steve, Kim, and Dan. He is

Mass of Christian Burial

The Vigil and Funeral Mass for Pastor Emeritus Monsignor Richard Bellow will be November 27 and 28. All are welcome.

Monday, November 27: Vigil, 4-8 pm

4:00 pm: Rite of Welcoming

4:30 pm: Lying-In-State

6:00 pm: Vespers for the Dead

6:30 pm: Visitation Continues

7:40 pm: Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary

Tuesday, November 28: Funeral Mass

10:00 am: Lying-In-State

11:00 am: Funeral Mass Begins

12:30 pm: Reception in Parish Hall 

  3:00 pm: Burial, Belmont Abbey Cemetery

Obituary

Monsignor Richard Bellow, a retired priest of the Diocese of Charlotte known for his love of the Eucharist, passed away peacefully Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. He was 80 years old, and he had served in priestly ministry for 53 years.

Before retiring in 2013, Monsignor Bellow served for nine years as pastor of St. Mark Parish in Huntersville, where he helped guide the construction of a new church building that was dedicated in 2009, fulfilling a long-standing dream for parishioners in Huntersville. Also under his leadership, Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration was inaugurated at the parish in 2011, and the Adoration Chapel was later renamed in his honor.

“If God wants me to be remembered for one thing, that’s what I want to be remembered for: being the pastor here when God did this good work in us,” he told the Catholic News Herald in 2013.

Most recently, St. Mark School honored its former pastor by naming a prayer garden in his honor. He was also present for St. Mark School’s 20th anniversary celebrations in October.

He was born on Aug. 11, 1943, in the Bronx, New York, the son of the late Samuel and Antoinette (Bica) Bellow. He received his education from St. Francis Seminary, Staten Island, N.Y.; St. Hyacinth College & Seminary, Granby, Mass.; and the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a master’s degree in psychology.

Ordained on May 30, 1970, Monsignor Bellow began his minis